Journalists assaulted, equipment seized in Sierra Leone

Lagos, Nigeria, August 7, 2012--The Committee to
Protect Journalists condemns an attack on two journalists by soldiers in Sierra
Leone and calls on authorities to investigate and bring the perpetrators to
justice.

Soldiers in uniform attacked Poindexter Sama, senior
reporter, and Alie Turay, graphic designer, both of the daily Awoko
Newspaper, as the journalists photographed the troops passing the
newspaper's offices in Freetown, the capital, the paper reported on August 3.
The soldiers kicked and hit Sama with their guns even though he had identified
himself as a reporter, he told CPJ. The journalist said he suffered a swollen
face, blistered lips, and bruises, while Turay's shirt was torn. The soldiers also
confiscated their mobile phones and two memory sticks, as well as a camera
battery that belonged to the paper, the journalist said.

The soldiers
were headed to a demonstration being held by former soldiers protesting their
discharge by the Ministry of Defense and the alleged non-payment of their
benefits, according to news
reports. Earlier in the day, the former soldiers had attacked and beaten
Pallo Conteh, the Minister of Defense, news reports said.

Kelvin Lewis, Awoko Newspaper's editor, told CPJ that
he had asked the military to return the confiscated property to the journalists. He also said that
even though they had video footage identifying one of the soldiers who had
attacked the journalists as being connected to Conteh, no actions had been
taken by the military.

"We condemn the
brutal assault on the journalists of Awoko
Newspaper as an affront to the rule of law and ask that their equipment be
returned to them immediately," said CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator Mohamed
Keita from New York. "We call on authorities in Sierra Leone to not permit
impunity to those who break the law while wearing the uniform of the national
army."